Shocking life expectancy gap has not shifted in a century
The huge gap in life expectancy between those with severe mental illness and the rest of the population is growing in Australia, with no improvement in sight.
Mental Health
The reality of living with schizophrenia in Australia
People with schizophrenia experience disability and disadvantage that limits their ability to live a fulfilling life. This is how it often ends.
‘As a father I’m heartbroken, as a taxpayer I’m appalled’
Patrick Leunig went to a top private school and was set to study law. Then his life spiralled downwards. His grief-stricken father tells of how our system failed his son.
It’s the leading cause of death for Australian women. So how can you delay its onset?
It’s one of the biggest killers of Australians. But new research suggests the number of cases can potentially be halved. And that’s not the only news.
Freedom fight: Locked up and invisible in the heart of Australia
A young Aboriginal man’s escape from hell charts a community win for one of the many cognitively impaired and mentally troubled First Nations offenders who languish in our prison system.
‘The mental health ward became my prison cell’: a patient’s plea for change
Billie spent more than 1000 days in hospital before she turned 18. Damaged but determined, she is now speaking out for mental health reform.
‘My nightmare of trauma and terror’
I am a 29-year-old woman living with treatment-resistant schizophrenia. I spent most of my younger years in and out of the public mental health system. This is my story.
Australia has a chance to fix its mental health system. Will we take it?
Australia’s broken mental health system has failed hundreds of thousands of people with severe illness with ineffective care – and that’s if they can access any at all. But one initiative may shift the dial.
Meditation caves and cryotherapy: how the wealthy stay healthy
The rich have more money than most to help stave off ageing. So what are they doing, mainstream and experimental, to stay in tip-top shape?
If you think your baby has signs of autism or ADHD, read this
Parents beware. Standard cognitive tests can’t pick up ADHD and autism in infancy, a new study finds, despite a proliferation of early diagnosis and support programs.
ADHD and autism overlap – so why has the NDIS favoured one over the other?
Your child’s ADHD may be just as debilitating as your neighbour’s kid’s autism. A new study finds both conditions are on the same neurodevelopmental continuum. So why have their supports been funded by NDIS and yours haven’t?
Decriminalisation is not the answer, Minns hints
The NSW Drug Summit has heard of Oregon’s failed decriminalisation experiment amid expert calls for decriminalisation in the state.
Are teens worried about social media bans? Let’s text them to find out
Should we be concerned about a cataclysmic long-term impact on the cognitive functioning of doomscrollers? Try tearing your kids away from the screen to ask what they think.
Middle-aged women exercise more than their daughters
New research from the UK shows middle-aged women prioritise their health after menopause. But they still lag men, the study shows.
Social ban done, now to make it happen
Testing with teenagers for Labor’s world-first ban of social media will begin in coming months, as parents and child safety advocates hail the passing of the new law as a ‘reclamation of childhood’.
How one man’s surfing school is saving veterans’ lives
With the healing powers of the ocean and the support of like-minded mates, a former big-wave surfer is bringing military veterans and first responders back from the brink.
Raw pain: parents seek answers
Devastated parents have vented their anger at childcare centres where their little girls were repeatedly raped and assaulted by one of Australia’s worst pedophiles, Ashley Paul Griffith.
‘I thought my partner was hiding something from me. The truth was so much worse’
What do you do when the man you love is diagnosed, at just 46, with dementia? For a long time Louise Bryant thought the answer was silence. But suddenly, that all changed.
One thing you may not know about heavy drinking
There is one notable risk with regular heavy drinking that is often overlooked. Here’s how to stop it.
Australians suffering aged-care anxiety
The majority of older Australians are suffering a crisis of confidence as they age and the possibility of moving into aged care looms.
Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/health/mental-health/page/5